Dual connectivity techniques for NR (new radio)

ABSTRACT

Techniques discussed herein can facilitate measurement gap configuration and/or determination of activation or deactivation delays for NR (New Radio) UEs (User Equipments). A first set of aspects can involve coordination of measurement gap configuration for a UE between a MN (Master Node) and SN (Secondary Node). A second set of aspects can involve estimation of timing for activation and/or deactivation of SCell(s) (Secondary Cell(s)) in DC (Dual Connectivity) scenarios. Various embodiments can employ techniques of the first set of aspects and/or the second set of aspects.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Applications No. 62/582,128 filed Nov. 6, 2017, entitled “INTERRUPTION AND ACTIVATION DELAY DESIGN FOR INDEPENDENT GAP CAPABLE USER EQUIPMENT (UE)” and 62/584,513 filed Nov. 10, 2017, entitled “MEASUREMENT COORDINATION BETWEEN MASTER NODE (MN) AND SECONDARY NODE (SN) ON MEASUREMENT GAP IN NEW RADIO (NR)”, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to wireless technology, and more specifically to techniques related to measurement gap(s) and activation/deactivation delays in connection with NR (New Radio).

BACKGROUND

Mobile communication has evolved significantly from early voice systems to today's highly sophisticated integrated communication platform. The next generation wireless communication system, 5G (or new radio (NR)) will provide access to information and sharing of data anywhere, anytime by various users and applications. NR is expected to be a unified network/system that target to meet vastly different and sometime conflicting performance dimensions and services. Such diverse multi-dimensional requirements are driven by different services and applications. In general, NR will evolve based on 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) LTE (Long Term Evolution)-Advanced with additional potential new Radio Access Technologies (RATs) to enrich people lives with better, simple and seamless wireless connectivity solutions. NR will enable everything connected by wireless and deliver fast, rich contents and services.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example user equipment (UE) useable in connection with various aspects described herein.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating example components of a device that can be employed in accordance with various aspects discussed herein.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating example interfaces of baseband circuitry that can be employed in accordance with various aspects discussed herein.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a system employable at a UE (User Equipment) that facilitates configuration of measurement gap(s) and/or estimation of timing for activation/deactivation of SCell(s) (Secondary Cells) for DC (Dual Connectivity) scenarios, according to various aspects described herein.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a system employable at a BS (Base Station) that facilitates configuration of measurement gap(s) and/or estimation of timing for activation/deactivation of SCell(s) (Secondary Cells) for DC (Dual Connectivity) scenarios, according to various aspects described herein.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method employable at a UE that facilitates measurement gap configuration between MN (Master Node) and SN (Secondary Node) for DC (Dual Connectivity) scenarios, according to various aspects discussed herein.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method employable at a BS that facilitates measurement gap configuration between MN and SN for DC (Dual Connectivity) scenarios, according to various aspects discussed herein.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method employable at a UE that facilitates estimation of timing for activation and/or deactivation of a SCell (Secondary Cell) in DC (Dual Connectivity) scenarios, according to various aspects discussed herein.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method employable at a BS that facilitates estimation of timing for activation and/or deactivation of a SCell (Secondary Cell) in DC (Dual Connectivity) scenarios, according to various aspects discussed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout, and wherein the illustrated structures and devices are not necessarily drawn to scale. As utilized herein, terms “component,” “system,” “interface,” and the like are intended to refer to a computer-related entity, hardware, software (e.g., in execution), and/or firmware. For example, a component can be a processor (e.g., a microprocessor, a controller, or other processing device), a process running on a processor, a controller, an object, an executable, a program, a storage device, a computer, a tablet PC and/or a user equipment (e.g., mobile phone, etc.) with a processing device. By way of illustration, an application running on a server and the server can also be a component. One or more components can reside within a process, and a component can be localized on one computer and/or distributed between two or more computers. A set of elements or a set of other components can be described herein, in which the term “set” can be interpreted as “one or more.”

Further, these components can execute from various computer readable storage media having various data structures stored thereon such as with a module, for example. The components can communicate via local and/or remote processes such as in accordance with a signal having one or more data packets (e.g., data from one component interacting with another component in a local system, distributed system, and/or across a network, such as, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, or similar network with other systems via the signal).

As another example, a component can be an apparatus with specific functionality provided by mechanical parts operated by electric or electronic circuitry, in which the electric or electronic circuitry can be operated by a software application or a firmware application executed by one or more processors. The one or more processors can be internal or external to the apparatus and can execute at least a part of the software or firmware application. As yet another example, a component can be an apparatus that provides specific functionality through electronic components without mechanical parts; the electronic components can include one or more processors therein to execute software and/or firmware that confer(s), at least in part, the functionality of the electronic components.

Use of the word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion. As used in this application, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “including”, “includes”, “having”, “has”, “with”, or variants thereof are used in either the detailed description and the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” Additionally, in situations wherein one or more numbered items are discussed (e.g., a “first X”, a “second X”, etc.), in general the one or more numbered items may be distinct or they may be the same, although in some situations the context may indicate that they are distinct or that they are the same.

As used herein, the term “circuitry” may refer to, be part of, or include an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group), and/or memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality. In some embodiments, the circuitry may be implemented in, or functions associated with the circuitry may be implemented by, one or more software or firmware modules. In some embodiments, circuitry may include logic, at least partially operable in hardware.

Embodiments described herein may be implemented into a system using any suitably configured hardware and/or software. FIG. 1 illustrates an architecture of a system 100 of a network in accordance with some embodiments. The system 100 is shown to include a user equipment (UE) 101 and a UE 102. The UEs 101 and 102 are illustrated as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computing devices connectable to one or more cellular networks), but may also comprise any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as Personal Data Assistants (PDAs), pagers, laptop computers, desktop computers, wireless handsets, or any computing device including a wireless communications interface.

In some embodiments, any of the UEs 101 and 102 can comprise an Internet of Things (IoT) UE, which can comprise a network access layer designed for low-power IoT applications utilizing short-lived UE connections. An IoT UE can utilize technologies such as machine-to-machine (M2M) or machine-type communications (MTC) for exchanging data with an MTC server or device via a public land mobile network (PLMN), Proximity-Based Service (ProSe) or device-to-device (D2D) communication, sensor networks, or IoT networks. The M2M or MTC exchange of data may be a machine-initiated exchange of data. An IoT network describes interconnecting IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure), with short-lived connections. The IoT UEs may execute background applications (e.g., keep-alive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate the connections of the IoT network.

The UEs 101 and 102 may be configured to connect, e.g., communicatively couple, with a radio access network (RAN) 110—the RAN 110 may be, for example, an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), a NextGen RAN (NG RAN), or some other type of RAN. The UEs 101 and 102 utilize connections 103 and 104, respectively, each of which comprises a physical communications interface or layer (discussed in further detail below); in this example, the connections 103 and 104 are illustrated as an air interface to enable communicative coupling, and can be consistent with cellular communications protocols, such as a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) protocol, a code-division multiple access (CDMA) network protocol, a Push-to-Talk (PTT) protocol, a PTT over Cellular (POC) protocol, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) protocol, a 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol, a fifth generation (5G) protocol, a New Radio (NR) protocol, and the like.

In this embodiment, the UEs 101 and 102 may further directly exchange communication data via a ProSe interface 105. The ProSe interface 105 may alternatively be referred to as a sidelink interface comprising one or more logical channels, including but not limited to a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), a Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH), and a Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH).

The UE 102 is shown to be configured to access an access point (AP) 106 via connection 107. The connection 107 can comprise a local wireless connection, such as a connection consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, wherein the AP 106 would comprise a wireless fidelity (WiFi®) router. In this example, the AP 106 is shown to be connected to the Internet without connecting to the core network of the wireless system (described in further detail below).

The RAN 110 can include one or more access nodes that enable the connections 103 and 104. These access nodes (ANs) can be referred to as base stations (BSs), NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), next Generation NodeBs (gNB), RAN nodes, and so forth, and can comprise ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations providing coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). The RAN 110 may include one or more RAN nodes for providing macrocells, e.g., macro RAN node 111, and one or more RAN nodes for providing femtocells or picocells (e.g., cells having smaller coverage areas, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth compared to macrocells), e.g., low power (LP) RAN node 112.

Any of the RAN nodes 111 and 112 can terminate the air interface protocol and can be the first point of contact for the UEs 101 and 102. In some embodiments, any of the RAN nodes 111 and 112 can fulfill various logical functions for the RAN 110 including, but not limited to, radio network controller (RNC) functions such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management.

In accordance with some embodiments, the UEs 101 and 102 can be configured to communicate using Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) communication signals with each other or with any of the RAN nodes 111 and 112 over a multicarrier communication channel in accordance various communication techniques, such as, but not limited to, an Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communication technique (e.g., for downlink communications) or a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) communication technique (e.g., for uplink and ProSe or sidelink communications), although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. The OFDM signals can comprise a plurality of orthogonal subcarriers.

In some embodiments, a downlink resource grid can be used for downlink transmissions from any of the RAN nodes 111 and 112 to the UEs 101 and 102, while uplink transmissions can utilize similar techniques. The grid can be a time-frequency grid, called a resource grid or time-frequency resource grid, which is the physical resource in the downlink in each slot. Such a time-frequency plane representation is a common practice for OFDM systems, which makes it intuitive for radio resource allocation. Each column and each row of the resource grid corresponds to one OFDM symbol and one OFDM subcarrier, respectively. The duration of the resource grid in the time domain corresponds to one slot in a radio frame. The smallest time-frequency unit in a resource grid is denoted as a resource element. Each resource grid comprises a number of resource blocks, which describe the mapping of certain physical channels to resource elements. Each resource block comprises a collection of resource elements; in the frequency domain, this may represent the smallest quantity of resources that currently can be allocated. There are several different physical downlink channels that are conveyed using such resource blocks.

The physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) may carry user data and higher-layer signaling to the UEs 101 and 102. The physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) may carry information about the transport format and resource allocations related to the PDSCH channel, among other things. It may also inform the UEs 101 and 102 about the transport format, resource allocation, and H-ARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) information related to the uplink shared channel. Typically, downlink scheduling (assigning control and shared channel resource blocks to the UE 102 within a cell) may be performed at any of the RAN nodes 111 and 112 based on channel quality information fed back from any of the UEs 101 and 102. The downlink resource assignment information may be sent on the PDCCH used for (e.g., assigned to) each of the UEs 101 and 102.

The PDCCH may use control channel elements (CCEs) to convey the control information. Before being mapped to resource elements, the PDCCH complex-valued symbols may first be organized into quadruplets, which may then be permuted using a sub-block interleaver for rate matching. Each PDCCH may be transmitted using one or more of these CCEs, where each CCE may correspond to nine sets of four physical resource elements known as resource element groups (REGs). Four Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) symbols may be mapped to each REG. The PDCCH can be transmitted using one or more CCEs, depending on the size of the downlink control information (DCI) and the channel condition. There can be four or more different PDCCH formats defined in LTE with different numbers of CCEs (e.g., aggregation level, L=1, 2, 4, 8, or 16).

Some embodiments may use concepts for resource allocation for control channel information that are an extension of the above-described concepts. For example, some embodiments may utilize an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH) that uses PDSCH resources for control information transmission. The EPDCCH may be transmitted using one or more enhanced the control channel elements (ECCEs). Similar to above, each ECCE may correspond to nine sets of four physical resource elements known as an enhanced resource element groups (EREGs). An ECCE may have other numbers of EREGs in some situations.

The RAN 110 is shown to be communicatively coupled to a core network (CN) 120—via an S1 interface 113. In embodiments, the CN 120 may be an evolved packet core (EPC) network, a NextGen Packet Core (NPC) network, or some other type of CN. In this embodiment the S1 interface 113 is split into two parts: the S1-U interface 114, which carries traffic data between the RAN nodes 111 and 112 and the serving gateway (S-GW) 122, and the S1-mobility management entity (MME) interface 115, which is a signaling interface between the RAN nodes 111 and 112 and MMEs 121.

In this embodiment, the CN 120 comprises the MMEs 121, the S-GW 122, the Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW) 123, and a home subscriber server (HSS) 124. The MMEs 121 may be similar in function to the control plane of legacy Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Nodes (SGSN). The MMEs 121 may manage mobility aspects in access such as gateway selection and tracking area list management. The HSS 124 may comprise a database for network users, including subscription-related information to support the network entities' handling of communication sessions. The CN 120 may comprise one or several HSSs 124, depending on the number of mobile subscribers, on the capacity of the equipment, on the organization of the network, etc. For example, the HSS 124 can provide support for routing/roaming, authentication, authorization, naming/addressing resolution, location dependencies, etc.

The S-GW 122 may terminate the S1 interface 113 towards the RAN 110, and routes data packets between the RAN 110 and the CN 120. In addition, the S-GW 122 may be a local mobility anchor point for inter-RAN node handovers and also may provide an anchor for inter-3GPP mobility. Other responsibilities may include lawful intercept, charging, and some policy enforcement.

The P-GW 123 may terminate an SGi interface toward a PDN. The P-GW 123 may route data packets between the EPC network 123 and external networks such as a network including the application server 130 (alternatively referred to as application function (AF)) via an Internet Protocol (IP) interface 125. Generally, the application server 130 may be an element offering applications that use IP bearer resources with the core network (e.g., UMTS Packet Services (PS) domain, LTE PS data services, etc.). In this embodiment, the P-GW 123 is shown to be communicatively coupled to an application server 130 via an IP communications interface 125. The application server 130 can also be configured to support one or more communication services (e.g., Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) sessions, PTT sessions, group communication sessions, social networking services, etc.) for the UEs 101 and 102 via the CN 120.

The P-GW 123 may further be a node for policy enforcement and charging data collection. Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCRF) 126 is the policy and charging control element of the CN 120. In a non-roaming scenario, there may be a single PCRF in the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) associated with a UE's Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session. In a roaming scenario with local breakout of traffic, there may be two PCRFs associated with a UE's IP-CAN session: a Home PCRF (H-PCRF) within a HPLMN and a Visited PCRF (V-PCRF) within a Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN). The PCRF 126 may be communicatively coupled to the application server 130 via the P-GW 123. The application server 130 may signal the PCRF 126 to indicate a new service flow and select the appropriate Quality of Service (QoS) and charging parameters. The PCRF 126 may provision this rule into a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) (not shown) with the appropriate traffic flow template (TFT) and QoS class of identifier (QCI), which commences the QoS and charging as specified by the application server 130.

FIG. 2 illustrates example components of a device 200 in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments, the device 200 may include application circuitry 202, baseband circuitry 204, Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry 206, front-end module (FEM) circuitry 208, one or more antennas 210, and power management circuitry (PMC) 212 coupled together at least as shown. The components of the illustrated device 200 may be included in a UE or a RAN node. In some embodiments, the device 200 may include less elements (e.g., a RAN node may not utilize application circuitry 202, and instead include a processor/controller to process IP data received from an EPC). In some embodiments, the device 200 may include additional elements such as, for example, memory/storage, display, camera, sensor, or input/output (I/O) interface. In other embodiments, the components described below may be included in more than one device (e.g., said circuitries may be separately included in more than one device for Cloud-RAN (C-RAN) implementations).

The application circuitry 202 may include one or more application processors. For example, the application circuitry 202 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processor(s) may include any combination of general-purpose processors and dedicated processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors, etc.). The processors may be coupled with or may include memory/storage and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory/storage to enable various applications or operating systems to run on the device 200. In some embodiments, processors of application circuitry 202 may process IP data packets received from an EPC.

The baseband circuitry 204 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The baseband circuitry 204 may include one or more baseband processors or control logic to process baseband signals received from a receive signal path of the RF circuitry 206 and to generate baseband signals for a transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 206. Baseband processing circuity 204 may interface with the application circuitry 202 for generation and processing of the baseband signals and for controlling operations of the RF circuitry 206. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 204 may include a third generation (3G) baseband processor 204A, a fourth generation (4G) baseband processor 204B, a fifth generation (5G) baseband processor 204C, or other baseband processor(s) 204D for other existing generations, generations in development or to be developed in the future (e.g., second generation (2G), sixth generation (6G), etc.). The baseband circuitry 204 (e.g., one or more of baseband processors 204A-D) may handle various radio control functions that enable communication with one or more radio networks via the RF circuitry 206. In other embodiments, some or all of the functionality of baseband processors 204A-D may be included in modules stored in the memory 204G and executed via a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 204E. The radio control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation/demodulation, encoding/decoding, radio frequency shifting, etc. In some embodiments, modulation/demodulation circuitry of the baseband circuitry 204 may include Fast-Fourier Transform (FFT), precoding, or constellation mapping/demapping functionality. In some embodiments, encoding/decoding circuitry of the baseband circuitry 204 may include convolution, tail-biting convolution, turbo, Viterbi, or Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) encoder/decoder functionality. Embodiments of modulation/demodulation and encoder/decoder functionality are not limited to these examples and may include other suitable functionality in other embodiments.

In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 204 may include one or more audio digital signal processor(s) (DSP) 204F. The audio DSP(s) 204F may be include elements for compression/decompression and echo cancellation and may include other suitable processing elements in other embodiments. Components of the baseband circuitry may be suitably combined in a single chip, a single chipset, or disposed on a same circuit board in some embodiments. In some embodiments, some or all of the constituent components of the baseband circuitry 204 and the application circuitry 202 may be implemented together such as, for example, on a system on a chip (SOC).

In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 204 may provide for communication compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 204 may support communication with an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN) or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN). Embodiments in which the baseband circuitry 204 is configured to support radio communications of more than one wireless protocol may be referred to as multi-mode baseband circuitry.

RF circuitry 206 may enable communication with wireless networks using modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium. In various embodiments, the RF circuitry 206 may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc. to facilitate the communication with the wireless network. RF circuitry 206 may include a receive signal path which may include circuitry to down-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 208 and provide baseband signals to the baseband circuitry 204. RF circuitry 206 may also include a transmit signal path which may include circuitry to up-convert baseband signals provided by the baseband circuitry 204 and provide RF output signals to the FEM circuitry 208 for transmission.

In some embodiments, the receive signal path of the RF circuitry 206 may include mixer circuitry 206 a, amplifier circuitry 206 b and filter circuitry 206 c. In some embodiments, the transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 206 may include filter circuitry 206 c and mixer circuitry 206 a. RF circuitry 206 may also include synthesizer circuitry 206 d for synthesizing a frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 206 a of the receive signal path and the transmit signal path. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 206 a of the receive signal path may be configured to down-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 208 based on the synthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuitry 206 d. The amplifier circuitry 206 b may be configured to amplify the down-converted signals and the filter circuitry 206 c may be a low-pass filter (LPF) or band-pass filter (BPF) configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signals to generate output baseband signals. Output baseband signals may be provided to the baseband circuitry 204 for further processing. In some embodiments, the output baseband signals may be zero-frequency baseband signals, although this is not a requirement. In some embodiments, mixer circuitry 206 a of the receive signal path may comprise passive mixers, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 206 a of the transmit signal path may be configured to up-convert input baseband signals based on the synthesized frequency provided by the synthesizer circuitry 206 d to generate RF output signals for the FEM circuitry 208. The baseband signals may be provided by the baseband circuitry 204 and may be filtered by filter circuitry 206 c.

In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 206 a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 206 a of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for quadrature downconversion and upconversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 206 a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 206 a of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for image rejection (e.g., Hartley image rejection). In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 206 a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 206 a may be arranged for direct downconversion and direct upconversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 206 a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 206 a of the transmit signal path may be configured for super-heterodyne operation.

In some embodiments, the output baseband signals and the input baseband signals may be analog baseband signals, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternate embodiments, the output baseband signals and the input baseband signals may be digital baseband signals. In these alternate embodiments, the RF circuitry 206 may include analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry and the baseband circuitry 204 may include a digital baseband interface to communicate with the RF circuitry 206.

In some dual-mode embodiments, a separate radio IC circuitry may be provided for processing signals for each spectrum, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 206 d may be a fractional-N synthesizer or a fractional N/N+1 synthesizer, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect as other types of frequency synthesizers may be suitable. For example, synthesizer circuitry 206 d may be a delta-sigma synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizer comprising a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider.

The synthesizer circuitry 206 d may be configured to synthesize an output frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 206 a of the RF circuitry 206 based on a frequency input and a divider control input. In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 206 d may be a fractional N/N+1 synthesizer.

In some embodiments, frequency input may be provided by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), although that is not a requirement. Divider control input may be provided by either the baseband circuitry 204 or the applications processor 202 depending on the desired output frequency. In some embodiments, a divider control input (e.g., N) may be determined from a look-up table based on a channel indicated by the applications processor 202.

Synthesizer circuitry 206 d of the RF circuitry 206 may include a divider, a delay-locked loop (DLL), a multiplexer and a phase accumulator. In some embodiments, the divider may be a dual modulus divider (DMD) and the phase accumulator may be a digital phase accumulator (DPA). In some embodiments, the DMD may be configured to divide the input signal by either N or N+1 (e.g., based on a carry out) to provide a fractional division ratio. In some example embodiments, the DLL may include a set of cascaded, tunable, delay elements, a phase detector, a charge pump and a D-type flip-flop. In these embodiments, the delay elements may be configured to break a VCO period up into Nd equal packets of phase, where Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line. In this way, the DLL provides negative feedback to help ensure that the total delay through the delay line is one VCO cycle.

In some embodiments, synthesizer circuitry 206 d may be configured to generate a carrier frequency as the output frequency, while in other embodiments, the output frequency may be a multiple of the carrier frequency (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrier frequency) and used in conjunction with quadrature generator and divider circuitry to generate multiple signals at the carrier frequency with multiple different phases with respect to each other. In some embodiments, the output frequency may be a LO frequency (fLO). In some embodiments, the RF circuitry 206 may include an IQ/polar converter.

FEM circuitry 208 may include a receive signal path which may include circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or more antennas 210, amplify the received signals and provide the amplified versions of the received signals to the RF circuitry 206 for further processing. FEM circuitry 208 may also include a transmit signal path which may include circuitry configured to amplify signals for transmission provided by the RF circuitry 206 for transmission by one or more of the one or more antennas 210. In various embodiments, the amplification through the transmit or receive signal paths may be done solely in the RF circuitry 206, solely in the FEM 208, or in both the RF circuitry 206 and the FEM 208.

In some embodiments, the FEM circuitry 208 may include a TX/RX switch to switch between transmit mode and receive mode operation. The FEM circuitry may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the FEM circuitry may include an LNA to amplify received RF signals and provide the amplified received RF signals as an output (e.g., to the RF circuitry 206). The transmit signal path of the FEM circuitry 208 may include a power amplifier (PA) to amplify input RF signals (e.g., provided by RF circuitry 206), and one or more filters to generate RF signals for subsequent transmission (e.g., by one or more of the one or more antennas 210).

In some embodiments, the PMC 212 may manage power provided to the baseband circuitry 204. In particular, the PMC 212 may control power-source selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-to-DC conversion. The PMC 212 may often be included when the device 200 is capable of being powered by a battery, for example, when the device is included in a UE. The PMC 212 may increase the power conversion efficiency while providing desirable implementation size and heat dissipation characteristics.

While FIG. 2 shows the PMC 212 coupled only with the baseband circuitry 204. However, in other embodiments, the PMC 212 may be additionally or alternatively coupled with, and perform similar power management operations for, other components such as, but not limited to, application circuitry 202, RF circuitry 206, or FEM 208.

In some embodiments, the PMC 212 may control, or otherwise be part of, various power saving mechanisms of the device 200. For example, if the device 200 is in an RRC_Connected state, where it is still connected to the RAN node as it expects to receive traffic shortly, then it may enter a state known as Discontinuous Reception Mode (DRX) after a period of inactivity. During this state, the device 200 may power down for brief intervals of time and thus save power.

If there is no data traffic activity for an extended period of time, then the device 200 may transition off to an RRC_Idle state, where it disconnects from the network and does not perform operations such as channel quality feedback, handover, etc. The device 200 goes into a very low power state and it performs paging where again it periodically wakes up to listen to the network and then powers down again. The device 200 may not receive data in this state, in order to receive data, it must transition back to RRC_Connected state.

An additional power saving mode may allow a device to be unavailable to the network for periods longer than a paging interval (ranging from seconds to a few hours). During this time, the device is totally unreachable to the network and may power down completely. Any data sent during this time incurs a large delay and it is assumed the delay is acceptable.

Processors of the application circuitry 202 and processors of the baseband circuitry 204 may be used to execute elements of one or more instances of a protocol stack. For example, processors of the baseband circuitry 204, alone or in combination, may be used execute Layer 3, Layer 2, or Layer 1 functionality, while processors of the application circuitry 204 may utilize data (e.g., packet data) received from these layers and further execute Layer 4 functionality (e.g., transmission communication protocol (TCP) and user datagram protocol (UDP) layers). As referred to herein, Layer 3 may comprise a radio resource control (RRC) layer, described in further detail below. As referred to herein, Layer 2 may comprise a medium access control (MAC) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, described in further detail below. As referred to herein, Layer 1 may comprise a physical (PHY) layer of a UE/RAN node, described in further detail below.

FIG. 3 illustrates example interfaces of baseband circuitry in accordance with some embodiments. As discussed above, the baseband circuitry 204 of FIG. 2 may comprise processors 204A-204E and a memory 204G utilized by said processors. Each of the processors 204A-204E may include a memory interface, 304A-304E, respectively, to send/receive data to/from the memory 204G.

The baseband circuitry 204 may further include one or more interfaces to communicatively couple to other circuitries/devices, such as a memory interface 312 (e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from memory external to the baseband circuitry 204), an application circuitry interface 314 (e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from the application circuitry 202 of FIG. 2), an RF circuitry interface 316 (e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from RF circuitry 206 of FIG. 2), a wireless hardware connectivity interface 318 (e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from Near Field Communication (NFC) components, Bluetooth® components (e.g., Bluetooth® Low Energy), Wi-Fi® components, and other communication components), and a power management interface 320 (e.g., an interface to send/receive power or control signals to/from the PMC 212).

In various aspects, embodiments discussed herein can facilitate techniques employable in connection with measurement gaps and/or activation/deactivation delays in NR (New Radio) systems. A first set of aspects and associated embodiments discussed herein relate to techniques to facilitate measurement gap configuration for a UE (User Equipment) by a MN (Master Node) and/or SN (Secondary Node). A second set of aspects and associated embodiments discussed herein relate to techniques that facilitate estimation of activation and/or deactivation timing for a UE operating in DC (Dual Connectivity).

Referring to FIG. 4, illustrated is a block diagram of a system 400 employable at a UE (User Equipment) that facilitates configuration of measurement gap(s) and/or estimation of timing for activation/deactivation of SCell(s) (Secondary Cells) for DC (Dual Connectivity) scenarios, according to various aspects described herein. System 400 can include one or more processors 410 (e.g., one or more baseband processors such as one or more of the baseband processors discussed in connection with FIG. 2 and/or FIG. 3) comprising processing circuitry and associated interface(s) (e.g., one or more interface(s) discussed in connection with FIG. 3), transceiver circuitry 420 (e.g., comprising part or all of RF circuitry 206, which can comprise transmitter circuitry (e.g., associated with one or more transmit chains) and/or receiver circuitry (e.g., associated with one or more receive chains) that can employ common circuit elements, distinct circuit elements, or a combination thereof), and a memory 430 (which can comprise any of a variety of storage mediums and can store instructions and/or data associated with one or more of processor(s) 410 or transceiver circuitry 420). In various aspects, system 400 can be included within a user equipment (UE). As described in greater detail below, system 400 can facilitate a first set of aspects related to measurement gap configuration for DC scenarios and/or a second set of aspects related to estimation of activation/deactivation timing for DC scenarios.

In various aspects discussed herein, signals and/or messages can be generated and output for transmission, and/or transmitted messages can be received and processed. Depending on the type of signal or message generated, outputting for transmission (e.g., by processor(s) 410, processor(s) 510, etc.) can comprise one or more of the following: generating a set of associated bits that indicate the content of the signal or message, coding (e.g., which can include adding a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) and/or coding via one or more of turbo code, low density parity-check (LDPC) code, tailbiting convolution code (TBCC), etc.), scrambling (e.g., based on a scrambling seed), modulating (e.g., via one of binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), or some form of quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), etc.), and/or resource mapping (e.g., to a scheduled set of resources, to a set of time and frequency resources granted for uplink transmission, etc.). Depending on the type of received signal or message, processing (e.g., by processor(s) 410, processor(s) 510, etc.) can comprise one or more of: identifying physical resources associated with the signal/message, detecting the signal/message, resource element group deinterleaving, demodulation, descrambling, and/or decoding.

Referring to FIG. 5, illustrated is a block diagram of a system 500 employable at a BS (Base Station) that facilitates configuration of measurement gap(s) and/or estimation of timing for activation/deactivation of SCell(s) (Secondary Cells) for DC (Dual Connectivity) scenarios, according to various aspects described herein. System 500 can include one or more processors 510 (e.g., one or more baseband processors such as one or more of the baseband processors discussed in connection with FIG. 2 and/or FIG. 3) comprising processing circuitry and associated interface(s) (e.g., one or more interface(s) discussed in connection with FIG. 3), communication circuitry 520 (e.g., which can comprise circuitry for one or more wired (e.g., X2, etc.) connections and/or part or all of RF circuitry 206, which can comprise one or more of transmitter circuitry (e.g., associated with one or more transmit chains) or receiver circuitry (e.g., associated with one or more receive chains), wherein the transmitter circuitry and receiver circuitry can employ common circuit elements, distinct circuit elements, or a combination thereof), and memory 530 (which can comprise any of a variety of storage mediums and can store instructions and/or data associated with one or more of processor(s) 510 or communication circuitry 520). In various aspects, system 500 can be included within an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (Evolved Node B, eNodeB, or eNB), next generation Node B (gNodeB or gNB) or other base station or TRP (Transmit/Receive Point) in a wireless communications network. In some aspects, the processor(s) 510, communication circuitry 520, and the memory 530 can be included in a single device, while in other aspects, they can be included in different devices, such as part of a distributed architecture. As described in greater detail below, system 400 can facilitate a first set of aspects related to measurement gap configuration for DC scenarios and/or a second set of aspects related to estimation of activation/deactivation timing for DC scenarios.

Measurement Coordination between MN (Master Node) and SN (Secondary Node) on Measurement Gap in NR (New Radio)

In NR, it has been agreed that both MN (Master Node) (e.g., employing an associated system 500) and SN (Secondary Node) (e.g., employing an associated system 500) can configure measurement to the UE (e.g., employing system 400). However, existing techniques leave unclear which node(s) will configure the UE (e.g., employing system 400) with measurement gap(s) and how to coordinate the measurement gap(s) between MN and SN. The first set of aspects and associated embodiments can facilitate different options for measurement gap configuration to a UE (e.g., employing system 400).

In various embodiments of the first set of aspects, one of several different options can be employed for assignment and/or configuration of measurement gaps in such scenarios (e.g., DC (Dual Connectivity) scenarios involving MN and SN).

In embodiments employing a first option, only the MN assigns measurement gap(s). In embodiments employing a second option, only the serving cell assigns the measurement gap on the serving frequency, such that the PCell (Primary Cell) configures (e.g., via signaling generated by the MN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the MN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410) the PCell frequency and the PSCell (Primary SCell (Secondary Cell)) configures (e.g., via signaling generated by the SN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the SN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410) all SCell (Secondary Cell) frequencies. In embodiments employing a third option, the MN and SN can coordinate, and either one or both can configure the UE; however, the coordination can ensure the measurement gap(s) are consistent regardless of whether configured by the MN and/or SN.

In various embodiments employing the first option, when the UE is configured for DC, only the MN configures measurement gap to the UE.

In scenarios of the first option involving a single measurement gap, the MN can coordinate with SN (e.g., the SN can send an indication to the MN (e.g., generated by the SN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the SN's communication circuitry 520, received via the MN's communication circuitry 520, and processed by the MN's processor(s) 510) if there are measurement(s) on LTE/FR1 (Frequency Range 1)/FR2 (Frequency Range 2) that have been configured to the UE by the SN (e.g., generated by the SN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the SN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410)) and MN can configure a single measurement gap to the UE (e.g., generated by the MN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the MN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410). The UE can then use the single measurement gap to perform all LTE/FR1/FR2 measurements (e.g., via processor(s) 410 and transceiver circuitry 420) if configured.

In such scenarios, both the LTE/FR1 measurement gap and FR2 measurement gap can be supported by the UE and configured by the network. The SN can send a message to the MN (e.g., generated by the SN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the SN's communication circuitry 520, received via the MN's communication circuitry 520, and processed by the MN's processor(s) 510) to indicate if there is a measurement configured by the SN (e.g., via signaling generated by the SN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the SN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410) to the UE to measure the MN's frequency. The MN can then configure measurement gap(s) on both LTE/FR1 and FR2 (e.g., via signaling generated by the MN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the MN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410) if configured by either MN or SN.

In various embodiments employing the second option, when the UE is configured for DC, the MN can configure the measurement gap(s) for the MN frequency (e.g., generated by the MN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the MN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410) and the SN can configure the measurement gap(s) SN frequency (e.g., generated by the SN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the SN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410).

In scenarios involving a single measurement gap, either the first option can be employed, or the MN and the SN can coordinate exactly the same measurement gap to the UE.

In such scenarios, both the LTE/FR1 measurement gap and the FR2 measurement gap can be supported by the UE and configured by the network (e.g., generated by processor(s) 510 (e.g., the SN's and/or MN's), transmitted via communication circuitry 520 (e.g., the SN's and/or MN's), received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410). The MN can send a message to the SN (e.g., generated by the MN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the MN's communication circuitry 520, received via the SN's communication circuitry 520, and processed by the SN's processor(s) 510) if there is a measurement configured by the MN to the UE (e.g., generated by the MN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the MN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410) to measure the SN's frequency. Similarly, the SN can send a message to the MN (e.g., generated by the SN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the SN's communication circuitry 520, received via the MN's communication circuitry 520, and processed by the MN's processor(s) 510) to indicate if there is a measurement configured by the SN (e.g., generated by the SN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the SN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410) to the UE to measure the MN's frequency. The MN can then configure a measurement gap on the MN frequency to the UE (e.g., generated by the MN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the MN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410) accordingly. The SN can configure a measurement gap on the SN frequency to the UE (e.g., generated by the SN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the SN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410) accordingly.

In various embodiments employing the third option, the MN and SN can coordinate, and either one or both can configure the measurement gap(s) to the UE, wherein the coordination can ensure the measurement gap(s) remain consistent.

Referring to FIG. 6, illustrated is a flow diagram of a first example method 600 employable at a UE that facilitates measurement gap configuration between MN and SN for DC (Dual Connectivity) scenarios, according to various aspects discussed herein. In other aspects, a machine readable medium can store instructions associated with method 600 that, when executed, can cause a UE to perform the acts of method 600.

At 610, first configuration signaling can be received configuring the UE for DC (Dual Connectivity) operation with a MN (Master Node) and SN (Secondary Node).

At 620, second configuration signaling can be received from the MN and/or SN configuring one or more measurement gaps for the UE.

Additionally or alternatively, method 600 can include one or more other acts described herein in connection with various embodiments of system 400 discussed herein in connection with the first set of aspects.

Referring to FIG. 7, illustrated is a flow diagram of a first example method 700 employable at a BS (e.g., gNB, etc.) that facilitates measurement gap configuration between MN and SN for DC (Dual Connectivity) scenarios, according to various aspects discussed herein. In other aspects, a machine readable medium can store instructions associated with method 700 that, when executed, can cause a BS to perform the acts of method 700.

At 710, first configuration signaling can be transmitted to a UE to configure the UE for DC (Dual Connectivity) with the gNB as MN (or SN) and another node as SN (or MN).

At 720, optionally, messaging can be exchanged with the other node to coordinate measurement gap configuration for the UE.

At 730, second configuration signaling can be generated configuring at least one measurement gap for the UE.

Additionally or alternatively, method 700 can include one or more other acts described herein in connection with various embodiments of system 500 discussed herein in connection with the first set of aspects.

In a first example embodiment of the first set of aspects, only the MN assigns one or more measurement gaps to the UE (e.g., generated by the MN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the MN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410).

In a second example embodiment of the first set of aspects, in the first example embodiment, a message can be sent from the SN to the MN indicating measurement configuration on certain frequencies (e.g., generated by the SN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the SN's communication circuitry 520, received via the MN's communication circuitry 520, and processed by the MN's processor(s) 510).

In a third example embodiment of the first set of aspects, only the serving cell assigns the measurement gap on the serving frequency, such that the PCell (Primary Cell) configures (e.g., via signaling generated by the MN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the MN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410) the PCell frequency and the PSCell (Primary SCell (Secondary Cell)) configures (e.g., via signaling generated by the SN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the SN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410) all SCell (Secondary Cell) frequencies.

In a fourth example embodiment of the first set of aspects, in the third example embodiment, message(s) can be sent between MN and SN indicating the measurement configuration(s) on certain frequencies (e.g., generated by the MN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the MN's communication circuitry 520, received via the SN's communication circuitry 520, and processed by the SN's processor(s) 510, and/or generated by the SN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the SN's communication circuitry 520, received via the MN's communication circuitry 520, and processed by the MN's processor(s) 510).

In a fifth example embodiment of the first set of aspects, the MN and the SN can coordinate (e.g., via signaling generated by the MN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the MN's communication circuitry 520, received via the SN's communication circuitry 520, and processed by the SN's processor(s) 510, and/or generated by the SN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the SN's communication circuitry 520, received via the MN's communication circuitry 520, and processed by the MN's processor(s) 510) and either one or both can configure (e.g., via configuration generated by the MN's and/or SN's processor(s) 510, transmitted via the MN's and/or SN's communication circuitry 520, received via transceiver circuitry 420, and processed by processor(s) 410), wherein the MN and SN coordination can ensure consistency of the configured measurement gap(s).

Interruption and Activation Delay Design for Independent Gap Capable UE

The second set of aspects relates to embodiments that facilitate improved timing estimation (e.g., for interruption and activation delay) for multiple beam scenarios for NR (New Radio).

In the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) RAN4 (Radio Access Network Working Group 4) #84 bis meeting discussion, the following conclusions on interruption and activation delay of SCell were reached:

FFS [For Further Study] NR [New Radio] SCell [Secondary Cell] Activation Delay Requirement for Deactivated NR SCell

-   -   Unit: NR slot     -   Delay=Decoding MAC [Medium Access Control] CE [Control Element]         time+HARQ [Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest] feedback+fine         synchronization+CSI [Channel State Information] reporting time

FFS NR SCell Deactivation Delay Requirement for Activated NR Scell

-   -   Unit: NR slot     -   Delay=Decoding MAC CE time+HARQ feedback

FFS NR SCell Activation Delay Requirement for Deactivated NR SCell with Multiple Downlink SCells

-   -   Unit: NR slot

$T_{activate\_ total} = {T_{activate\_ basic} + {T_{interruption} \times {\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{N - 1}\; K_{i}}}}$

-   -   K₁ is the number of times the other i^(th) SCell is activated,         deactivated, configured or deconfigured while the SCell is being         activated.     -   FFS LTE [Long Term Evolution] SCell activated, deactivated,         configured or deconfigured will affect NR SCell     -   Maximum number of NR SCells supported by the UE: FFS

NR SCell Deactivation Delay Requirement for Activated NR SCell with Multiple Downlink Scells

-   -   FFS Same as NR SCell Deactivation Delay Requirement for         Activated NR Scell

And in an approved WF for UE capability, it was stated that,

Agreement on UE capability for FR [Frequency Range] ½ measurements

-   -   To do in RAN4#85: introduce measurement gap based requirements         for per-UE based measurement gap and FR1/2 independent         measurement gap (best effort based)

Agreement on MGL [Measurement Gap Length]

-   -   For UE supports single and per UE gap, three MGL are introduced,         6 ms, [4] ms and 3 ms     -   For UE support independent gap for FR1/2, the following MGL are         introduced         -   FR1 measurement objects: 6 ms, [4] ms and 3 ms         -   FR2 measurement objects:             -   With FR1/LTE serving cell only: 6 ms, [4] ms and 3 ms             -   With FR2 serving cell:                 -   If identical gap is configured for both FR1 and FR2:                     6 ms, [4] ms, 3 ms,                 -   If independent gap is configured for FR1 and                     FR2:[1+x] ms, [2.25+x] ms, [5+x] ms             -   Note: x is defined based on RF switching time and TBD in                 RAN4#85     -   Non-NR-capable UE does not need to support new gap other than 3         ms or 6 ms         UE Capabilities

For UE capabilities, RAN4's agreements are

-   -   The capability to concurrently perform intrafrequency         measurement on serving cell or neighbor cell and receive PDCCH         [Physical Downlink Control Channel] or PDSCH [Physical Downlink         Shared Channel] from the serving cell with a different         numerology is a band independent UE capability     -   From RAN4 perspective, a capability to indicate whether a UE can         support two independent measurement gap configurations for FR1         and FR2 is recommended. RAN4 will work on specifications for         independent gap measurement configuration on a best effort         basis.     -   needforGaps capability signaling would reduce needed gaps in         LTE+NR NSA [Non StandAlone] operation and therefore is         beneficial for capable UEs. RAN2 is recommended to evaluate the         feasibility of extending the LTE ‘needforGaps’ signaling to         include LTE+NR NSA operation_.

In line with the above agreements, some UEs (e.g., employing respective systems 400) can support independent gap or per-FR (frequency range) gap or separated RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit), and those UEs can have separated interruption or gaps for different FRs or carriers or frequency layers. The “separated interruption” means the interruption on a certain carrier/FR/frequency layer will not cause any disconnection/interruption to other carrier/FR/frequency layer.

If a UE is capable of independent gap or per-FR(frequency range) gap or separated RFIC, then the activation delay and interruption can be redesigned to make the network have the correct expectation of the UE behavior.

A first set of embodiments of the second set of aspects can be employed for a NR/LTE SCell activation delay time for a deactivated NR/LTE SCell with multiple downlink Scells. In such embodiments, the total activation delay can be as in equation (1):

$\begin{matrix} {T_{activate\_ total} = {T_{activate\_ basic} + {T_{interruption} \times {\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{N - 1}\; K_{i}}}}} & (1) \end{matrix}$

In equation (1), K_(i) is the number of times the other i^(th) SCell is activated, deactivated, configured, or deconfigured while the SCell being activated (i.e., the victim cell) is being activated. In scenarios wherein the UE (e.g., employing system 400) supports one or more of independent gap, per-FR gap, and/or separated RFIC, “the other i^(th) SCell” in equation (1) refers to the SCell which is different from the SCell being activated but is in the same FR or using the same RFIC as the SCell being activated. In scenarios wherein the UE (e.g., employing system 400) does not support any of independent gap, per-FR gap, and/or separated RFIC, and/or the UE only supports per-UE gap or single RFIC, “the other i^(th) SCell” here refers to the SCell which is different from the SCell being activated.

In various aspects, “the other i^(th) SCell” can be one of a LTE cell, a NR FR1 cell, or a NR FR2 cell.

In various aspects, LTE cells and NR FR1 cells can be grouped into the same FR, and NR FR2 cells can be grouped into a different FR from the LTE and NR FR1 cells.

The SCell being activated in equation (1) is the target SCell to be activated and the total activation delay time in the above formula is for this SCell that is being activated.

T_(activate_basic) is a baseline delay for activating SCell in a single SCell scenario, which can omit the delay from other SCells' activation, deactivation, configuration, or deconfiguration.

T_(interruption) is the basic interruption time because of SCell activation, deactivation, configuration, or deconfiguration.

N is the number of “other i^(th) SCells.”

In a first scenario wherein the UE is operating (e.g., via processor(s) 410 and transceiver circuitry 420) on LTE+NR FR2 dual connectivity, in the MCG (master cell group) there can be one LTE PCell and one deactivated LTE SCell, while in the SCG (secondary cell group) there can be one NR FR2 PSCell and one deactivated NR FR2 Scell. In scenarios wherein the UE supports independent gap and the SCell being activated is the deactivated NR FR2 SCell, then the delay of activation for this deactivated NR FR2 SCell need not be extended by the LTE SCell activation, deactivation, configuration, or deconfiguration. Otherwise, in scenarios wherein the UE supports per-UE gap and the SCell being activated is the deactivated NR FR2 SCell, then the delay of activation for this deactivated NR FR2 SCell can be extended by the LTE SCell activation, deactivation, configuration, or deconfiguration.

In a second scenario wherein the UE is operating (e.g., via processor(s) 410 and transceiver circuitry 420) on LTE+NR FR1 dual connectivity, in the MCG (master cell group) there can be one LTE PCell and one deactivated LTE SCell, while in the SCG (secondary cell group) there can be one NR FR1 PSCell and one deactivated NR FR1 Scell, if the SCell being active is the deactivated NR FR1 SCell, then the delay of activation for this deactivated NR FR1 SCell can be extended by the LTE SCell activation, deactivation, configuration, or deconfiguration.

A second set of embodiments of the second set of aspects can be employed for a NR/LTE SCell deactivation delay time for an activated NR/LTE SCell with multiple downlink Scells. In such embodiments, the total deactivation delay can be as in equation (2):

$\begin{matrix} {T_{{de}{activate\_ total}} = {T_{deactivate\_ basic} + {T_{interruption} \times {\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{N - 1}\; K_{i}}}}} & (1) \end{matrix}$

In equation (2), K_(i) is the number of times the other i^(th) SCell is activated, deactivated, configured, or deconfigured while the SCell being deactivated (i.e., the victim cell) is being deactivated. In scenarios wherein the UE (e.g., employing system 400) supports one or more of independent gap, per-FR gap, and/or separated RFIC, “the other i^(th) SCell” in equation (2) refers to the SCell which is different from the SCell being deactivated but is in the same FR or using the same RFIC as the SCell being deactivated. In scenarios wherein the UE (e.g., employing system 400) does not support any of independent gap, per-FR gap, and/or separated RFIC, and/or the UE only supports per-UE gap or single RFIC, “the other i^(th) SCell” here refers to the SCell which is different from the SCell being deactivated.

In various aspects, “the other i^(th) SCell” can be one of a LTE cell, a NR FR1 cell, or a NR FR2 cell.

In various aspects, LTE cells and NR FR1 cells can be grouped into the same FR, and NR FR2 cells can be grouped into a different FR from the LTE and NR FR1 cells.

The SCell being deactivated in equation (1) is the target SCell to be deactivated and the total deactivation delay time in the above formula is for this SCell that is being deactivated.

T_(deactivate) basic is a baseline delay for deactivating SCell in a single SCell scenario, which can omit the delay from other SCells' activation, deactivation, configuration, or deconfiguration.

T_(interruption) is the basic interruption time because of SCell activation, deactivation, configuration, or deconfiguration.

N is the number of “other i^(th) SCells.”

Referring to FIG. 8, illustrated is a flow diagram of a first example method 800 employable at a UE that facilitates estimation of timing for activation and/or deactivation of a SCell (Secondary Cell) in DC (Dual Connectivity) scenarios, according to various aspects discussed herein. In other aspects, a machine readable medium can store instructions associated with method 800 that, when executed, can cause a UE to perform the acts of method 800.

At 810, configuration for DC (Dual Connectivity) can be received, which can indicate a MCG (Master Cell Group) and SCG (Secondary Cell Group).

At 820, a command can be received to activate or deactivate a first SCell (Secondary Cell), for example, of the SCG.

At 830, the first SCell can be activated or deactivated with in an associated activation/deactivation time, based on techniques discussed herein.

Additionally or alternatively, method 800 can include one or more other acts described herein in connection with various embodiments of system 400 discussed herein in connection with the second set of aspects.

Referring to FIG. 9, illustrated is a flow diagram of a first example method 900 employable at a BS (e.g., gNB, etc.) that facilitates estimation of timing for activation and/or deactivation of a SCell (Secondary Cell) in DC (Dual Connectivity) scenarios, according to various aspects discussed herein. In other aspects, a machine readable medium can store instructions associated with method 900 that, when executed, can cause a BS to perform the acts of method 900.

At 910, configuration signaling can be transmitted that can configure a UE for DC with a MCG and SCG.

At 920, a command to activate or deactivate a first SCell can be transmitted to the UE.

At 930, an activation delay or deactivation delay for the first SCell can be estimated, based on techniques discussed herein.

Additionally or alternatively, method 900 can include one or more other acts described herein in connection with various embodiments of system 500 discussed herein in connection with the second set of aspects.

ADDITIONAL EMBODIMENTS

Examples herein can include subject matter such as a method, means for performing acts or blocks of the method, at least one machine-readable medium including executable instructions that, when performed by a machine (e.g., a processor with memory, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or the like) cause the machine to perform acts of the method or of an apparatus or system for concurrent communication using multiple communication technologies according to embodiments and examples described.

Example 1 is an apparatus configured to be employed in a UE (User Equipment), comprising: a memory interface; and processing circuitry configured to: one of activate a victim cell of a plurality of cells within an activation delay of the victim cell, or deactivate the first cell within a deactivation delay of the victim cell, wherein at least one of the activation delay or the deactivation delay are based on one or more interruptions caused by one or more other cells of the plurality of cells, wherein the victim cell is on an associated FR (Frequency Range), wherein the associated FR is one of a FR1 or a FR2, wherein, when the UE does support per-FR measurement gaps, the one or more other cells comprises only cells from the associated FR, wherein, when the UE does not support per-FR measurement gaps, the one or more other cells comprise cells from both the FR1 and the FR2, and send an indication of the victim cell to a memory via the memory interface.

Example 2 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 1, wherein the victim cell is one of a SCell (Secondary Cell) or a PSCell (Primary SCell).

Example 3 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 1-2, wherein the victim cell is a cell of a SCG (Secondary Cell Group).

Example 4 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 1-3, wherein each of the one or more other cells is one of a LTE (Long Term Evolution) cell, a NR (New Radio) FR1 cell, or a NR FR2 cell.

Example 5 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 1-4, wherein the activation delay is the sum of a baseline activation delay for a single SCell (Secondary Cell) scenario and delays caused by the one or more interruptions, and wherein the deactivation delay is the sum of a baseline deactivation delay for the single SCell scenario and the delays caused by the one or more interruptions.

Example 6 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 5, wherein the delays caused by the one or more interruptions is the product of a basic interruption time with a total number of interruptions from the one or more other cells while the victim cell is being one of activated or deactivated.

Example 7 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 1-6, wherein each of the one or more interruptions is caused by one of an activation, a deactivation, a configuration, or a deconfiguration of one of the one or more other cells.

Example 8 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 1-7, wherein the FR1 comprises at least one LTE (Long Term Evolution) cell.

Example 9 is an apparatus configured to be employed in a gNB (next generation Node B), comprising: a memory interface; and processing circuitry configured to: determine one of an activation delay or a deactivation delay of a UE (User Equipment) for a victim cell of a plurality of cells, wherein at least one of the activation delay or the deactivation delay are based on one or more interruptions caused by one or more other cells of the plurality of cells, wherein the victim cell is on an associated FR (Frequency Range), wherein the associated FR is one of a FR1 or a FR2, wherein, when the UE does support per-FR measurement gaps, the one or more other cells comprises only cells from the associated FR, wherein, when the UE does not support per-FR measurement gaps, the one or more other cells comprise cells from both the FR1 and the FR2, and send an indication of the victim cell to a memory via the memory interface.

Example 10 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 9, wherein the victim cell is one of a SCell (Secondary Cell) or a PSCell (Primary SCell).

Example 11 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 9-10, wherein the victim cell is a cell of a SCG (Secondary Cell Group).

Example 12 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 9-11, wherein each of the one or more other cells is one of a LTE (Long Term Evolution) cell, a NR (New Radio) FR1 cell, or a NR FR2 cell.

Example 13 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 9-12, wherein the activation delay is the sum of a baseline activation delay for a single SCell (Secondary Cell) scenario and delays caused by the one or more interruptions, and wherein the deactivation delay is the sum of a baseline deactivation delay for the single SCell scenario and the delays caused by the one or more interruptions.

Example 14 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 13, wherein the delays caused by the one or more interruptions is the product of a basic interruption time with a total number of interruptions from the one or more other cells while the victim cell is being one of activated or deactivated.

Example 15 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 9-14, wherein each of the one or more interruptions is caused by one of an activation, a deactivation, a configuration, or a deconfiguration of one of the one or more other cells.

Example 16 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 9-15, wherein the FR1 comprises at least one LTE (Long Term Evolution) cell.

Example 17 is an apparatus configured to be employed in a UE (User Equipment), comprising: a memory interface; and processing circuitry configured to: process first configuration signaling that configures the UE for DC (Dual Connectivity) operation with a MN (Master Node) and a SN (Secondary Node); process second configuration signaling that configures one or more measurement gaps for the UE, wherein the second configuration signaling is generated by at least one of the MN or the SN; and send an indication of the one or more measurement gaps to a memory via the memory interface.

Example 18 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 17, wherein the second configuration signaling is generated by the MN.

Example 19 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 17-18, wherein the second configuration signaling comprises MN signaling generated by the MN that configures a first measurement gap for a first frequency associated with the MN and comprises SN signaling generated by the SN that configures a second measurement gap for a second frequency associated with the SN.

Example 20 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 17-19, wherein the one or more measurement gaps comprise a single measurement gap.

Example 21 is an apparatus configured to be employed in a gNB (next generation Node B), comprising: a memory interface; and processing circuitry configured to: generate first configuration signaling that configures a UE (User Equipment) for DC (Dual Connectivity) operation with the gNB as a MN (Master Node) and with a SN (Secondary Node); generate second configuration signaling that configures at least one measurement gap of one or more measurement gaps for the UE; and send an indication of the at least one measurement gap to a memory via the memory interface.

Example 22 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 21, wherein the second configuration signaling configures the one or more measurement gaps for the UE.

Example 23 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 21-22, wherein the one or more measurement gaps comprise a single measurement gap.

Example 24 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 21-23, wherein the apparatus is configured to generate the second configuration signaling based at least in part on messaging exchanged with the SN.

Example 25 comprises the subject matter of any variation of any of example(s) 21-24, wherein the one or more measurement gaps comprise a first measurement gap for a first frequency associated with the gNB and a second measurement gap for a second frequency associated with the SN.

Example 26 comprises an apparatus comprising means for executing any of the described operations of examples 1-25.

Example 27 comprises a machine readable medium that stores instructions for execution by a processor to perform any of the described operations of examples 1-25.

Example 28 comprises an apparatus comprising: a memory interface; and processing circuitry configured to: perform any of the described operations of examples 1-25.

The above description of illustrated embodiments of the subject disclosure, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. While specific embodiments and examples are described herein for illustrative purposes, various modifications are possible that are considered within the scope of such embodiments and examples, as those skilled in the relevant art can recognize.

In this regard, while the disclosed subject matter has been described in connection with various embodiments and corresponding Figures, where applicable, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments can be used or modifications and additions can be made to the described embodiments for performing the same, similar, alternative, or substitute function of the disclosed subject matter without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the disclosed subject matter should not be limited to any single embodiment described herein, but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims below.

In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components or structures (assemblies, devices, circuits, systems, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component or structure which performs the specified function of the described component (e.g., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary implementations. In addition, while a particular feature may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus configured to be employed in a UE (User Equipment), comprising: a memory interface; and processing circuitry configured to: one of activate a victim cell of a plurality of cells within an activation delay of the victim cell, or deactivate the victim cell within a deactivation delay of the victim cell, wherein at least one of the activation delay or the deactivation delay are based on one or more interruptions caused by one or more other cells of the plurality of cells, wherein the victim cell is on an associated FR (Frequency Range), wherein the associated FR is one of a FR1 or a FR2, wherein, when the UE does support per-FR measurement gaps, the one or more other cells comprises only cells from the associated FR, wherein, when the UE does not support per-FR measurement gaps, the one or more other cells comprise cells from both the FR1 and the FR2, and send an indication of the victim cell to a memory via the memory interface.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the victim cell is one of a SCell (Secondary Cell) or a PSCell (Primary SCell).
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the victim cell is a cell of a SCG (Secondary Cell Group).
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more other cells is one of a LTE (Long Term Evolution) cell, a NR (New Radio) FR1 cell, or a NR FR2 cell.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the activation delay is the sum of a baseline activation delay for a single SCell (Secondary Cell) scenario and delays caused by the one or more interruptions, and wherein the deactivation delay is the sum of a baseline deactivation delay for the single SCell scenario and the delays caused by the one or more interruptions.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the delays caused by the one or more interruptions is the product of a basic interruption time with a total number of interruptions from the one or more other cells while the victim cell is being one of activated or deactivated.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more interruptions is caused by one of an activation, a deactivation, a configuration, or a deconfiguration of one of the one or more other cells.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the FR1 comprises at least one LTE (Long Term Evolution) cell.
 9. An apparatus configured to be employed in a gNB (next generation Node B), comprising: a memory interface; and processing circuitry configured to: determine one of an activation delay or a deactivation delay of a UE (User Equipment) for a victim cell of a plurality of cells, wherein at least one of the activation delay or the deactivation delay are based on one or more interruptions caused by one or more other cells of the plurality of cells, wherein the victim cell is on an associated FR (Frequency Range), wherein the associated FR is one of a FR1 or a FR2, wherein, when the UE does support per-FR measurement gaps, the one or more other cells comprises only cells from the associated FR, wherein, when the UE does not support per-FR measurement gaps, the one or more other cells comprise cells from both the FR1 and the FR2, and send an indication of the victim cell to a memory via the memory interface.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the victim cell is one of a SCell (Secondary Cell) or a PSCell (Primary SCell).
 11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the victim cell is a cell of a SCG (Secondary Cell Group).
 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of the one or more other cells is one of a LTE (Long Term Evolution) cell, a NR (New Radio) FR1 cell, or a NR FR2 cell.
 13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the activation delay is the sum of a baseline activation delay for a single SCell (Secondary Cell) scenario and delays caused by the one or more interruptions, and wherein the deactivation delay is the sum of a baseline deactivation delay for the single SCell scenario and the delays caused by the one or more interruptions.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the delays caused by the one or more interruptions is the product of a basic interruption time with a total number of interruptions from the one or more other cells while the victim cell is being one of activated or deactivated.
 15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of the one or more interruptions is caused by one of an activation, a deactivation, a configuration, or a deconfiguration of one of the one or more other cells.
 16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the FR1 comprises at least one LTE (Long Term Evolution) cell. 